With Bumps, Balls and graduations now over, we’re properly into the summer here in Cambridge. A time when students leave, to be replaced by tourists and English Language students. It also promises to be a summer of sport, with multiple grand sporting events occurring, the first of which being UEFA Euro 2024. Naturally, now that the tournament is getting to the business end, the question is who are we at the Varsity Hotel Cambridge supporting?
An Easy Choice?
Well surely that’s an easy choice, right? Cambridge is in England and England are among the favourites for the tournament. And let’s not forget just how passionate support of the English national football team has been over the years. Often a little too passionate…
But in Cambridge it’s just not that simple. For while Cambridge might be small, it is an International city in every sense of the word. Take a walk across town on any average day and you’re likely to hear at least a dozen different languages being spoken. Easily.
People from across the world have come to regard Cambridge as their second home. Many are in Academia, and are attracted by the world class university based here. Others come for work. Perhaps in high flying tech jobs in what has come to be known as “Silicon Fen”. Others in the hospitality industry. Including with us at the Varsity Hotel.
Not so Easy…
Naturally, as a hotel our guests come from all over the place. But, more critically, our staff do as well. Over the years our senior management positions have included people from Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Portugal and Lithuania to name but a few.
Especially when it comes to European countries, it’s actually pretty difficult to find a nationality that hasn’t worked here. Though we’re pretty sure that we’ve never had citizens of San Marino or Monaco working here, they are both tiny city states, making it a little unfair.
As you might expect, during times of a tournament such as Euro 2024 there are a lot of friendly rivalries going on within our doors. And a fair quantity of desperate shift-swapping in the hopes of watching our teams.
So, if you were to ask the multinational, multilingual group of people who make up the heart and soul of the Varsity Hotel which team they support, there can only be one answer: “Yes!” Followed by an award winning hospitality smile.
Which for us, as those that know and love us are aware, is business as usual at the Varsity Hotel.
